Transcript The Cedar Glade Ecosystem

The Cedar Glade
Ecosystem
What is a cedar glade?
• Endangered
Ecosystem
• Characteristics:
– Very thin soil layers
– Exposed limestone
rock
– Surrounded by
junipers
– Dry in summer, wet in
winter
What is a Cedar Glade?
Where are the Cedar Glades?
• Central Basin of Middle TN
Where are the Cedar Glades?
The Zones of the Cedar Glades
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Zone 1- Bare rock, no soil
Zone 2- Gravelly glades; 0-2 in. soil
Zone 3- Grassy glades; 2-8 in. soil
Zone 4- Shrub zone; 8-12 in. soil
Zone 5- Cedar woods zone; 12+ in. soil
The Zones of the Cedar Glades
Zone 1: Bare
rock, No soil
Zone 2: Gravelly
Glade; 0-2 in. soil
Zone 4: Shrub
Zone 3: Grassy
Glade; 2-8 in. soil Zone; 8-12 in. soil
Zone 5:
Cedar
woods; 12
in. soil
What makes the Cedar Glades
Unique?
• Found primarily in Middle TN
– A few other places in the South
• Endemic Plant Species
– What does endemic mean?
– How?
• Adapted to extreme environment
• Can not compete elsewhere
• We have plants in Rutherford Co. that are not
found anywhere else in the world!
Now here are some important
Cedar Glade Plant species….
Prickly-Pear Cactus
• The only native cactus in Tennessee
• Zones 2 and 3 of the glades
Sunnybell Lily
• Endangered plant
protected by state
law
• Interstate 840 was
rerouted for this
plant
• Zones 2 and 3,
near standing
water
Hoary Puccoon
• Native Americans used flowers as a yellow dye
• Found in zones 2 and 3
Nashville Mustard (glade cress)
• In the mustard family
• Endemic to Middle TN cedar glades; zone 2
Prairie Coneflower
• In the sunflower
family
• 3-4ft tall; found in
zone 3
Price’s Wood Sorrel
• In the Wood Sorrel
family
• Leaves look like clovers
• Endemic to cedar glades;
zone 2
Shrubby St. John’s Wort
• Used as an anti-depressant
• 5 petals, numerous stamens
• Zone 4
Missouri Evening Primrose
• Large yellow flowers up to 5 inches across
• Zone 2
• East of Mississippi River, found only in
Rutherford Co.
Gattinger’s Lobelia
• Dr. Gattinger named this bluepurple flower
• Endemic to the cedar glades;
Zone 2
Blue-Eyed Grass
• This “grass” is really a
flower in the iris
family
• Zones 2 and 3
Wild Petunia
• Blue-violet trumpet-like flowers
• Sweet smell
• Zones 2 and 3
Glade Savory
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Perennial in the Mint family
Fragrant leaves
Square stem
Zone 3
Gattinger’s Prairie Clover
• Aromatic leaves when crushed/stepped on
• Red stems
• In the pea
family
• Zones 2 and 3
Nashville Breadroot
• Showy flower with large,
swollen root/tuber which
may be used for food
(starchy)
• Endemic to the cedar
glades; zone 3
Tennessee Coneflower
• First federally listed
endangered species
in TN
• Endemic to the cedar
glades; Zone 3
• Petals bent forward,
opposite of other
coneflowers
Pyne’s Ground Plum
• Only found in Rutherford
Co.
• Nowhere else in the world!
• Red, fleshy fruit
• Zones 3 and 4
Shooting Star
• Unusual flowers that
look like rockets
• Zones 3, 4, and 5
Glade Stonecrop
• Form a mat on thin soil over limestone rock
• Zone 2
Redcedar
• Actually a juniper,
not a cedar
• Surrounds the
glade; zone 5
BINGO TIME!
• Go to lab tables; Work in pairs
• When you get 5 boxes in a row (horizontally,
vertically, or diagonally), yell out “Bingo!”
• I will check your answers- you will get a
participation award
• We will continue until all questions have been
answers